Let's make a few assumptions...and guess the rest.

[B.R.Stateham]

Let's make a few assumptions:

1. The publishing industry is radically shedding old habits and structuring itself in a different
set of new clothes.

2. Fiction as we know it, will not be produced by big-name publishing houses. Smaller 'specialty'
publishers are going to pick up the pieces and carry on.

3. Ebooks and other electronic media is going to eventually become equal to, or superior than,
the current print medium in relation to making a profit.

4. With the advent of POD printing, the need to have institutions like Ingram's
distributing books becomes obsolete. Printing on demands reduces the need for
storage space, and the cost of printing itself is reduced drastically.

Now comes the guessing part;

1. What happens to literary agencies?

2. How much stronger does Amazon and Ebay become in the publishing world?

3. With the potentiality of millions of writers flooding the internet with their work, will\
anyone be able to earn a living thru their writing?

4. And ultimately, does the print medium eventually succombs to the visual arts
medium of gaming and digital animation?

What do you think?

[I. J. Parker]

John D. is headed for the orient. :) Always enjoy John D.'s views from another perspective. Also have enjoyed B.R. for engaging us in so many interesting issues.

[John McFetridge]

I think it's too bad John D is apprently travelling and can't take part in this.

I think making a living exclusively from writing fiction has always been very rare. Most fiction writers have another career - professor or lawyer seem common in crime fiction. That's not likely about to change.

[B.R.Stateham]

Good point, I.J. Currently this is a major problem. But sooner or later there is going to be an answer created. The question is, can we afford to wait for it?

[I. J. Parker]

We are about to have a major problem with electronic publishing because of new devices that make copyright protection a joke. The moment a book is published it will become available to anyone who can download from a friend, or who gets downloads through the library. That also includes audio versions because of the new Kindle. At that point, the author really does not get anything except the advance.